1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to adhesive labels, and in particular to a partially-secured label and a method of manufacturing same utilizing an adhesive deadening agent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Labels are well known and various types have been proposed to meet the requirements of a wide variety of label applications. For example, labels are extensively used in retail businesses for communicating product information to customers. Examples of labels used in retail merchandising include product labeling, preprinted packaging, and point-of-purchase display labels.
Point-of-purchase displays typically place merchandise within easy reach of consumers. Exemplary applications include self-service grocery, department, discount, and specialty stores and shops. Many of the merchandise items in such establishments lend themselves to shelf displays. For example, product containers such as boxes, bottles, jars, cans, and the like are typically well-suited for shelf displays. Such self-service retail marketing arrangements are popular with merchants because customers typically make their own selections. Labor costs can thus be minimized. However, personnel are needed for labeling the shelves adjacent to the merchandise stocked and displayed thereon.
Shelf-mounted labels commonly identify products and include such information as quantities and pricing. Certain types of retail businesses, such as grocery stores and discount merchandisers, experience frequent price changes. Consequently the point-of-purchase displays are frequently relabeled in many such establishments.
A common type of shelf label has an outer surface with the aforementioned information printed thereon and an inner surface with adhesive and non-adhesive portions. The adhesive portion of the inner surface is designed for adhering the label to the front, or outer, edge of a shelf. Such labels are commonly manufactured in sheets, each of which includes a number of labels. The label face stock layer is precut into a plurality of discrete labels. The backs of the label sheets are typically perforated or otherwise precut to separate the adhesive portions from the non-adhesive portions. For example, the entire back of the face stock layer can be coated with adhesive, which can mount a liner. In forming the prior art labels, portions of the liner are removed to expose the label adhesive portions. Removing a portion of the back liner from each such prior art label thus provides both adhesive and non-adhesive portions of the label inner surface.
Although such prior art shelf labels are in widespread use and can be manufactured with existing equipment, they are subject to several disadvantages. For example, such prior art labeling operations tend to be relatively labor intensive. More specifically, the label sheets must be separated into discrete labels and the liner portions which are designed for removal must be removed. The store personnel can then mount the labels by pressing the adhesive portions of the inner surfaces against the shelf edges whereby messages printed on the label outer surfaces are visible. Such messages can be preprinted when the labels are manufactured in xe2x80x9cservice bureauxe2x80x9d operations. Alternatively, blank label sheets can be provided for printing and marking by the customers. The labels can be partly printed during manufacture. Additional message information, such as pricing, can be applied to the labels at the point-of-purchase.
Heretofore, there has not been available a partially-secured label, label sheet and method of manufacturing same with the advantages and features of the present invention.
A label sheet includes a vinyl face stock layer and a liner. The face stock layer has a layer of adhesive applied thereto. The adhesive includes alternating strips of active and inactive adhesive portions. The inactive adhesive portions are rendered inactive by applying an adhesive deadening material thereto. Labels are formed in the vinyl face stock layer by kiss-cutting same. Each label includes an attached end with a portion of an active adhesive strip. Each label also includes a free, unattached end with a portion of an inactive adhesive strip. A labeling method includes the steps of delaminating a laminated material, applying strips of an adhesive deadening material, relaminating the vinyl face stock and the liner. The vinyl face stock is kiss-cut to form a plurality of discreet labels. Each label includes an attached end with active adhesive thereon and a free, unattached end with inactive adhesive thereon.
The principal objects and advantages of the present invention include: providing a partially-secured label; providing sheets of such labels; providing such labels which utilize a deadening agent for forming adhesive and non-adhesive portions; providing such a label which minimizes the labor involved in removing same from a sheet and placing same on a shelf display; providing such a label which is efficient in operation, economical to manufacture and particularly well adapted for the proposed use thereof; providing a label sheet which is adapted for both service bureau preprinting during manufacture and customer printing; providing a method of manufacturing partially-secured labels; providing such a method which is efficient in material and labor costs; and providing such a label which is resistant to distortion from freezer curl and other causes.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.